In many ways, Queensland should be a natural for popular sporting franchises: a good climate matched with a growing population, especially in the state’s south-east, should provide a basis for commercial and sporting success.

Queensland teams also have less top-flight opposition than the southern states. Unlike the AFL-saturated Victoria and the dominance of the NRL in NSW, Queensland is still a fairly open market, although the sheer size of the state can be inhibiting and it still has a smaller population than the southern states.

But Victoria has 10 AFL clubs, two A-League teams, an NRL franchise and, as of this year, a Super Rugby team. NSW has nine NRL clubs, one Super Rugby team, one A-League team and one (soon to be two) AFL clubs.

In contrast, Queensland has just three NRL teams, the Brisbane Broncos, Gold Coast Titans and the North Queensland Cowboys, two AFL clubs in the Brisbane Lions and the Gold Coast Suns, two A-League teams, being the Brisbane Roar and Gold Coast United, and this year’s standout team in the Super Rugby Australian conference, the Queensland Reds.

But there have been hurdles to creating wealthy franchises. Stadiums are pointed out as one of the problems. Some football code administrators claim Stadium Queensland grounds generate half the return of grounds in other states.

But Stadium Queensland responds that huge crowds have attended matches at its grounds and it has to bear in mind the overall benefits to the state.

Also the Queensland government faces a major rebuilding task after the recent floods.

The most famous sporting franchise in Queensland is undoubtedly the Brisbane Broncos. Almost entirely owned by News Ltd, the club is the strongest in the NRL.

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The success of the Broncos has encouraged others to think of including another Brisbane side in the premier rugby league competition. The push was initiated by businessman Craig Davison, who had been a staunch backer of the Broncos, Bill Rae and Nicholas Livermore.

Central Queensland is also a contender for a spot in the NRL.

The hope is that the NRL’s planned Independent Commission may see the value of having another team in the league-mad state which could add substantially to the next round of broadcast deals due in 2013.

The Gold Coast Titans have the capable Michael Searle as chief executive and the club has worked hard to entrench itself on the holiday strip. North Queensland is a league stronghold and the club this year has started to deliver the results wanted by its supporters.

However, that area was not a happy hunting ground for the A-League. The Fury had two painful seasons before Football Federation Australia, which had taken control of the club, decided it could no longer sustain the losses and had to cut the team.

It’s been a tough road financially for the other A-League team Gold Coast United but they are backed by the very deep pockets of mining magnate
Clive Palmer
. The Brisbane Roar too have had their commercial difficulties but they triumphed in the 2010-11 season by playing some of the most exhilarating soccer seen in Australia, under coach Ange Postecoglu.

Chief executive of Football Federation Australia
Ben Buckley
says the Roar were the benchmark for the A-League after their magnificent season.

The former owners were part of the Coffee Club group. Buckley says they have elected to remain Roar sponsors and he was optimistic appropriate replacement owners would be found. Currently the ownership resides with the FFA, a situation it has found itself in with other A- League clubs.

“With the Roar having qualified for the Asian Champions League, there are strong commercial opportunities for companies which have ties to China, Japan and Korea," Buckley says.

Roar crowds improved about 5 per cent in the 2010-2011 season. But Gold Coast United’s attendances remained weak.

This year, the Gold Coast Suns became the AFL’s 17th team. As is to be expected with new clubs, the team has struggled at times on the field but has already notched two wins.

Before the Suns, AFL in Queensland was dominated by the Brisbane Lions. The Lions ruled the AFL for three years between 2001 and 2003, but success on the field has been harder to achieve in recent seasons.

But the good news for the Sunshine State has been the Queensland Reds, who have added 17 per cent to their crowds this year and a host of sponsors.